It is a fortnight short of three years since Emma Raducanu last won a US Open match.
That was, to be fair to the 21-year-old, a fairly noteworthy victory: Leylah Fernandez beaten in the 2021 final as she sealed the most remarkable run to the title.
A first-round defeat by Alize Cornet was the sum of her defence 12 months later, while injury prevented Raducanu from even making it to the start line last year.
Back to fitness and back in New York, she need not search too hard for reminders of past glory before facing fellow Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin in her opening match at Flushing Meadows tonight.
“I feel very proud when I come here,” Raducanu said. “Walking past my photo every day, walking past my name on the trophy every day, I think that’s such an epic achievement. These two weeks, I completed it.”
There have been promising signs for Raducanu, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and lost to eventual winner Paula Badosa in Washington earlier this month in what was a fourth quarter-final in her past six tournaments.
That is the only event Raducanu has played since Wimbledon, skipping the Olympics and opting against entering qualifying in Toronto or Cincinnati.
“I just always do things a little bit differently, so I stuck by that,” she said this week. Raducanu has been wary of risking an injury, with her workload still carefully managed after wrist and ankle surgery last year.
A sparse schedule will raise questions, but Raducanu has produced the most consistent tennis of her tour career in recent months.
After three years of battling heightened expectation, increased scrutiny and injury problems, now is the time to finally kick on.
Her first-round match is a difficult one, though, against 2020 Australian Open champion Kenin, even if the American has largely struggled since.
The US Open is the start of life after Andy Murray for British tennis, with Jack Draper leading the Brits in the men’s draw, particularly with Cameron Norrie injured. Draper, the British No1 and 25th seed who could face Carlos Alcaraz in the third round, starts today against Zhizhen Zhang from China.
He reached the fourth round at Flushing Meadows a year ago, his best Grand Slam run, and the Brit returns to New York after a controversial week.
A win over Felix Auger-Aliassime at the Cincinnati Open came after Draper inadvertently hit the ball into the ground and over the net on match point.
The umpire did not spot it, despite Auger-Aliassime’s protestations, with Draper facing some backlash for not replaying or conceding the point.
He admits having his integrity questioned has “hurt”, even though he “completely understands” why people have questioned him.
“In that moment, I couldn’t do anything because I didn’t know — that was the honest truth of it,” said Draper. “I think anyone would be lying if they’re saying they’re not hurt by seeing a lot of comments saying you’re a cheat, you’re a liar.”
Katie Boulter and Dan Evans are also in action today. Boulter, the British No1 and 31st seed, starts against Belarusian qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich. Evans plays Russian Karen Khachanov.
Britain’s Harriet Dart raced into the second round last night, but qualifier Jan Choinski ran out of steam in a five-set thriller on his New York main-draw debut. Dart claimed an assured 6-1, 6-2 victory against Chloe Paquet of France. Choinski, who won three qualifying matches to reach the main draw, lost 6-2, 6-3, 5-7, 6-7, 6-3 to Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena.
Novak Djokovic started his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam singles title with a straightforward 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 win over Radu Albot overnight.
In the women’s draw, defending champion Coco Gauff cruised to a 6-2, 6-0 win against Varvara Gracheva in her opening match.
